Arithmetical game



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Mam y E92? BRITTIINGHAM ARITHIVIET I CAL G'AME Filed NOV. 10, 1925 m m w w 3 Wilma 2 $117 I z'nyam.

Patented Mar. 8 1927 I v UNITED STATES 1,619,849 PATENT OFFICE.

VEBTNEB D. BBITTINGHA H, OI BRIGHTON, COLORADO.

ABITHMETIGAL GAME.

Application filed November 10, 1925. Serial No. 68,060.

This invention relates to improvements in games and has particular reference to 1mprovements in games calculated to teach arithmetic as well as to amuse.

It is well known that a child will exert itself more and learn faster if the lessons can be disguised as a game, as this arouses the feeling of competition and pride which acts as a powerful incentive to learn in order to beat.

It is the object of this invention to produce a game, the playing of which will be interesting and the score of which is determined by performing the four arithmetical operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

The game can be constructed in several different ways, but depends in principle on determining by chance two numbers and also determining by chance the arithmetical operation that is to be performed to determine the score. The numbers may be determined by dice which indicate the number ofspaccs a marker may be moved along a numbered path or they may be determined by the spinning of pointers.

In order to describe my invention with the requisite clearness so that the manner of playing may be clearly understood, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment has been illustrated and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a game apparatus emplpying three pointers for determining by chance the two numbers and the arithmetical operation to be performed;

Fig. 2 is a section, to an enlarged scale, taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1, only a portion of the device being shown; and Fdilig. 3 is a section takenon line 3-3,

The apparatus illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 consists of a circular metal disk which is provided with annular circular ridges 2, 3 and 4 which divides the surface thereof into a central circular space A and an intermediate annular space B and an outer annular space 0. The annular space B is preferably divided into eight sections of equal angular extent. These sections are desi nated in order by the arithmetical signs, a dition, subtraction, multiplication and division. These signs may be applied in the order shown on the drawing or in any other order, although it is believed to be preferable if they occur in a regular order as shown. The annular space C is divided into thirteen sections of equal angular extent and these are numbered consecutively from zero to twelve. A central stud or pin 5 is secured to the disk at the exact center thereof. This pin is preferably provided with a flattened side 6 and has a head 7 that engages the outer surface of the plate 1. A washer 8 is pressed onto the stud 5 and holds the same firmly in place on the plate. Pivotaily mounted on the stud and resting on the washer 8 is a pointer 9 which is separated from a similar but longer pointer 10 that is also pivotaily mounted on the stud by means of a washer 11. A third washer 12 separates the pointer 10 from the upper pointer 13; the washers 8, 11 and 12 have noncircular holes that conform to the shape of the pin so that the washers cannot rotate on the pin. The assembly of pointers and washers is held in place by means of a nut 14: that is separated from the upper surface of the pointer 13 by means of a Washer 15. It will be noted that pointer 9 is shorter than the others and is intended to indicate the arithmetical operations that are to be performed. The pointers 10 and 13 are preferably of the same length but of a different design so that they may be readily distinguished one from the other. They may also be colored a difierent color if desired.

The game is played as'follows: There may be as many players as desired, as there is no limit to the number who can play at the same time. Each player in turn starts the three arrows spinning about their pivot. When the arrows stop the arrow 9 will point to some arithmetical sign and the arrows 10 and 13 will each indicate a number. Be fore the game is started the players should agree among themselves as to which one of the arrows 10 and 13 should be selected to point to the number that appears first in the arithmetical operation. In the example shown in Figure 1, we may assume that arrow 13 points to the number that is to be used first in the operation.- We then have twelve multiplied by eight, or ninety-six, which is the score indicated by the setting in Figure 1. If the arrow 9 instead of pointing to the multiplication sign had pointed to the subtraction sign, the score would have been twelve minus eight, or four. In a like manner if pointer 9 had indicated the division sign, the score would have been twelve divided by eight, or one and one-half. It is too obvious from the two last examples that the order in which the numbers are taken in performing the indicated operation makes a material difference in the results when sub-. traction and division are to be performed.

With addition and multiplication, the same results are obtained, regardless of What number is used first. The players may agree upon a certain number of times that each is to spin the arrows for each game. When each player has had designated number of turns the scores are added up and the one having the highest total is the winner.

It is apparent from the above description that the players get practice in arithmetical operation, involving the four major opera-- tions. This is considered to be sufficient for children in the grades, but where more difficult problems are to be performed the numbers instead of stopping at twelve may go up as high as desired and may include fractions and decimals and it is also possible to construct the game board so that square and cube roots will be required, although these are considered to be .too complicated for the ordinary use of this game.

In the game board described and shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the numbers are indicated by means of the arrows. It is, however, possible to embody the same idea in a game board constructed somewhat differently.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. An arithmetical game apparatus for setting up problems comprising, in combination, a disk-like member having two concentric annular areas divided by radial lines into a plurality of sections, each section of one of the annular areas having a number, each section of the other area having one of the arithmetical symbols X or I and means for determining by chance one of the arithmetical symbols and two numbers, the numbers to be employed in the problem indicated by the symbol.

2. A game apparatus consisting of a member having two concentric annular rings on its surface, one of said rings being divided into a number of equal spaces numbered consecutively from zero upwardly, the other annular ring being divided into a number of equal spaces each of which is designated by one of the symbols, or-+ and three independently movable arrows pivotally mounted, two of said arrows extending to the ring containing the numbers and the third to the ring containing the arithmetical symbols.

3. A. game apparatus consisting of a flat member having its upper surface marked off into two concentric zones, the larger zone being divided by radial lines into spaces of equal angular extent, said spaces each having a number indicated thereon, the smaller zone being divided by radial lines into not less than four spaces, each of which is designated as X or and three independently movable pointers pivoted to rotate about the center of the zones, two of said pointers extending to the numbered zone and the third to the zone containing the arithmetical symbols.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

VERTN ER D. BRITTINGHAM. 

